


White Walls

by Star55



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Girl Direction, Hospitals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 03:05:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18541006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Star55/pseuds/Star55
Summary: The walls are white. So white. There are framed paintings on the wall, like it’s meant to make a hospital waiting room any better. It’s a hospital. People aren’t going to be focusing on the artwork on the walls.





	White Walls

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Leeargh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leeargh/gifts).



> for Leah, who needed this last year when her dad was in hospital. ily ♥
> 
>  
> 
> Please do not break the fourth wall and show this to anyone in the band, their family, friends, etc, etc. Thank you. ♥

The coffee from the machine in the corner of the waiting room tastes disgusting, but Harry drinks it anyway. She has no idea how long she’s been awake for, just that she’s running purely on caffeine now. It isn’t her drink of choice, preferring water above all else, but she’s been up for so long now, she needs the energy.

There’s random beeping coming from rooms that she can’t see into. The walls are white. So white. There are framed paintings on the wall, like it’s meant to make a hospital waiting room any better. It’s a hospital. People aren’t going to be focusing on the artwork on the walls. 

There’s a box of toys in the far corner, untouched. There are other people in this waiting room, too, with their lives, and their own stories, but Harry can’t think of them right now. 

All she can think of is the fact that her dad, Robin, is in surgery right now. Her nerves are completely frayed. She has no idea how her mum is even standing right now, but she’s on the phone to Gemma, who is trying to get a flight home. 

It’s three days before Christmas and Harry is worried that her dad might not make it out alive.

She picks at the rim of the cardboard cup in her hands, fidgeting because she can’t do anything else. She can’t sit still. She can’t stop pacing. She’s positive that she’s driving the other couple crazy with her movements, but she just can’t _stop_. If she stops moving, she’ll not be able to stop the flood of ‘what if’ thoughts and other dreadful thoughts that aren’t really stopping because she’s pacing, too.

A door opens and closes, the sound echoing through the waiting room. Her mum appears a moment later. She seems to have aged ten years in the last twelve hours. 

Harry crosses the room and wraps her mum in a tight hug. She has no idea what else to do. There aren’t _words_ that she can say that will make this any better. It won’t fix anything. She knows her mum is scared. Her husband is lying on some surgery table in another part of the hospital, and they have no idea what’s going on.

A flurry of movement catches Harry’s eye and she looks up to see Louis barging in. She’s completely bundled up, scarf, beanie, thick jacket, the works. There are snowflakes stuck to her eyelashes still. She’s a sight for sore eyes.

Harry lets go of her mum and crosses the room, hugging Louis tightly. 

“I’m so sorry I’m late,” she says, her breath warm on Harry’s cheek. She kisses Harry softly on the lips before letting go of her and moving to give Anne a hug, too.

“Is there any news?” Louis asks. 

Anne shakes her head. “Not yet,” she says tiredly. She sits down in one of the empty chairs. The couple on the other side of the room get up and leave. Louis sits down next to Anne, taking one of Anne’s hands in both of hers.

“Is there anything that I can do?” Louis asks.

Anne shakes her head again. “We’re just waiting.”

Louis nods. She looks to Harry, chewing her bottom lip. She pats the seat next to her and Harry sits down, immediately seeking out Louis’ warmth. She curls into her, clinging tighter than usual. Louis gets it. She knows that Harry needs this reassurance that she’s there. That’s she’s _real_ and isn’t going anywhere.

They stay silent. 

Harry isn’t sure she would know what to say even if she _did_ have the capacity to talk.

There aren’t any clocks in this waiting room, Harry notices as she looks around at the stark white walls. She pushes the sleeve of Louis’ shirt up to see her watch. It reads ‘7.53’ but Harry has no idea if that’s morning or evening. 

Anne’s phone starts to ring and she gets up, pacing the length of the room as she talks. Harry wonders who she’s talking to.

“Have you eaten?” Louis asks, turning to face Harry a little better.

Harry shakes her head. 

“C’mon, love, let’s get you something.”

Though she’s reluctant to leave her mum, Louis tugs on Harry’s hand and it has her following obediently. They make their way through the hospital to the cafeteria. Louis gets them both some food, putting it on a tray, and carrying it to an empty table. There aren’t many people in here, which Harry is thankful for. She doesn’t feel like being around other people right now.

“Eat.”

The simple instruction has Harry picking at the hot chips on the tray. She chews one. It tastes like cardboard in her mouth. She sips at the water that Louis got for her, washing down the awful taste of the cafeteria food. 

“How are you feeling?”

“Tired.”

“Understandable. When we find out how his surgery went, we should go home so you can get some sleep.”

Harry shakes her head. “No.”

Louis’ hand moves to rest on Harry’s trouser clad thigh. She squeezes softly. Harry rests her hand on top of Louis’, lacing their fingers together. 

“I don’t want him to die,” she whispers. Tears prick the backs of her eyes. She takes a shaky breath, looking down at the table. “I…” she hiccups, her face crumpling. Louis shifts, pulling Harry into her arms, holding her tight against her chest.

“Whatever happens,” she begins softly, “no matter what it is, we’ll face it together.”

Harry nods, tears streaming from her eyes now that she’s let them. This isn’t what she wanted to happen. She didn’t want to break down here, in the middle of the cafeteria. She didn’t want to break down at all. Her mum needs her to be strong. _She_ needs to be strong.

“It’s alright, love,” Louis says, brushing Harry’s hair out of her eyes. “Everyone needs to cry.”

Harry lifts her head and Louis wipes her tears away with the sleeves of her shirt. Harry leans forwards, pressing her lips to Louis’. The kiss is wet. But Harry needs the comfort of her wife right now. She needs that solid pressure of Louis’ lips against her own. 

“C’mon, let’s eat some more and then go back to Anne,” Louis says after a few long moments. Harry just nods.

Louis gets a bottle of water for Anne as they leave the cafeteria, and a packet of crisps. Though they both know the food will go untouched.

There’s a doctor in the waiting room chatting to Anne when they go back in. Anne’s hand is over her mouth. Harry’s stomach drops to her feet. She immediately goes to her mum’s side.

“ _Thank you_ ,” she says emphatically. Tears roll down her cheeks and she turns to Harry, hugging her tightly. “He’s going to be fine.”

Relief floods Harry’s body. She sags against Louis, letting Louis keep her upright. She takes in her mum’s expression, how it doesn’t seem like she has the world on her shoulders any more. 

“I’m just going to call Gemma,” Anne says, her voice lighter.

Louis’ arms encircle Harry’s waist. She leans into Louis’ touch, needing the reassurance that this is all real, that things are going to be okay. 

“It’s all going to be alright, love,” Louis says, giving Harry a knowing look. Harry nods. Louis cuddles her tighter. She doesn’t let go for a long time.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi again. If you've got this far, I hope you enjoyed this part. ♥  
> Please leave me a comment if you liked it. I love comments so very much a lot. ♥
> 
>  
> 
> rebloggable post on my [tumblr](http://star55.tumblr.com/post/184331999551)


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